The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus for a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle and more specifically to an airbag apparatus which is deployed and inflated in a passenger protection zone between a vehicle passenger and a vehicle side wall potion for protecting the head and chest regions of the vehicle passenger in case of vehicle accident such as side collision or sideward rollover of the vehicle.
Various types of airbag apparatus have been proposed for protecting the head and chest portions of a vehicle passenger from impact against or being impacted by a vehicle side wall portion such as a side window or a door in case of vehicle accident such as side collision or rollover of a vehicle. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-297409 discloses an airbag apparatus provided with two internal spaces, that is, a lower space or chamber for protecting the chest/upper body of the vehicle passenger and an upper chamber which is communicated with the lower chamber for protecting the head of the vehicle passenger. The airbag apparatus disclosed in this Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication is configured in such a manner that the airbag is deployed and inflated entirely by supplying gas from an inflator upon occurrence of vehicle accident first to the lower chamber, and after flowing into the lower chamber, the gas is then supplied into the upper chamber.
In the airbag apparatus of this type intended for protecting the head portion and the chest portion of the vehicle passenger in case of vehicle accident, it is highly desirable to ensure protection of the vehicle passenger by deploying and inflating the airbag in an optimal manner corresponding to the respective portions of the vehicle passenger which require protection.
In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag apparatus development technique and arrangement which can ensure protection of the head portion and the chest portion of the vehicle passenger in case of vehicle accident.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.